MAN! KNOW THYSELF
Do
not judge a Master by his external appearance, genealogical descent, rich or poor attire,
country of origin, how he talks, eats, or the position he holds, the number of books that
he is the author of, or by what people say about him. First receive the inner experience
he promises and then judge from that elevated angle of vision. Self-experience is the
criterion for judging a genuine Master. Any living person who sees things from a spiritual
level-man and his embarrassments, difficulties and helplessness-and who has studied the
problems confronting humanity, can provide their solutions, and is also able to correct
and guide man visibly and invisibly, morally and spiritually, in theory as well as in
practice. Only such a person is fit to take the responsible position of a Master. Blessed
are those who experience a stirring emotion of happiness and longing in their hearts, on
hearing the news that such a Master exists and is near.
Spirituality is a science simpler
and easier than other sciences. Man has not to exert except in molding himself ethically
and morally to the climax of love, sincerity and humility, which will produce the
necessary state of receptivity in him. Everything else is in the hands of the Master.
Again, a movement, no matter how spiritual it may appear to be on the surface, should not
be judged by the number of followers that it has. A good speaker can attract crowds
anywhere, yet there may not be anything material or convincing in his speech. Spirituality
is not the exclusive possession of any family or place, but it is like a scented flower
that grows wherever Nature has ordained, around which the bees gather from far and wide to
sip its nectar. Masters do not rush after glory of self, although they certainly deserve
such glory. Even in ordinary talks, they will be heard to say, “Oh, it is all the
grace of my Master. It is none of my doing. My Master deserves all the praise and
credit.” This humility places them far above the low level of egoism found in this
world. Masters have come in all ages to offer this Natural Science to man. Only those who
are discontented with this world rush to them. Others, to whom worldly attractions,
pleasures and luxuries are dear, turn their backs. Those, in whose hearts all noble
sentiments are dead, not only put all possible obstacles in the way of the Saints, but
also subject them to various kinds of tortures, as a study of the lives of Jesus, Guru
Nanak, Kabir and others will show. Masters have come in the past, are existing today, and
will continue to come in the future for the spiritual benefit of man. To suppose and
accept that Spirituality has become the sole prerogative of any religion after the passing
of the Master, on whose teachings it is based, and that sacred books are the only guides,
shows the thoughtlessness of man.
How can we distinguish between a
genuine and a false Master? There is in fact no such testing stone or magical formula
except that of self-experience, for discriminating right from wrong, truth from
false-hood, and reality from unreality. Even in the time of Emperor Janak (the father of
Sita of the Ramayana), who was prepared to pay a big fee for the theoretical knowledge of
this Science, only one, Yagyavalkya, out of all the Rishis, Yogis and Munis in India, was
able to do so and won the prize. Yagyavalkya, however, had the moral courage to admit,
“Gargi, I know the theory only but have no personal experience of it.” On a
second occasion, Emperor Janak proclaimed that he wanted a practical experience of this
Science on a certain date, and that in a very short time too, not exceeding the time taken
to straddle a horse and put each foot in its stirrup. Great Yogis and Rishis throughout
the length and breadth of India were invited, but at the appointed time only one person
stepped forward to accept the challenge. This was a hunchback named Ashtavakra, who had
eight humps in his body. The audience, taking him for a maniac, laughed aloud at his
appearance. Ashtavakra said, “How can you expect to get a spiritual experience from
these cobblers you have collected, who have eyes only for the skin of the body but cannot
see within?” The experience was duly given to the Emperor within the allotted time.
The point to consider is that at the time when Spirituality was thriving, only one person
came forward to accept the challenge. In these times then, when materialism is on the
increase, we do not find competent Masters growing like mushrooms. So search we must, not
allowing false propaganda, the testimony of others, blind faith, the promise of future
happiness, and our regard for position, wealth and pleasure, to lead us astray. When such
personalities come, they are competent to give life to million of people who go to them.
They are the children of Light, and give Light to all humanity.
Blind faith is one of the
main obstacles to overcome. What we simply listen to, read or follow without investigating
as to what and where it will lead to, is blind faith. If one is careless to forget the end
while following the means, and does not see whether he is nearing the end or not, it is
still blind faith. When one goes to a Master and listens attentively to the explanations
given by Him on the subject of gaining Self-knowledge by self-analysis, duly supported by
one or more quotations from the valuable sayings of various Saints, he is intellectually
convinced to tread the path as an experimental measure and act up to what the Master says
with faith for the time being. This is the first steppingstone to learn about Reality.
When he has the firsthand experience, of whatever degree it may be, he is convinced and
progresses from day to day. Today, man listens to talks, lectures and sermons, accepts and
believes these all his life and takes for granted that he has been placed firmly on the
way to salvation. But when death comes with all its sufferings, pangs of separation and
fears of the unknown, he realizes his mistake. Man’s life-long habit of attachment to
the body, occupies all his thoughts, while friends, doctors, relatives and priests stand
by helpless and despairing.
It is here that the Science of
Para-Vidya is of great help to us. The soul’s withdrawal from the body is greatly
help to us. The soul’s withdrawal from the body is greatly eased and the Master
appears to receive and guide it further in the Beyond. Death is to such a one the happiest
of events, and like marriage, it is the union with the Beloved. He has already visited and
convinced himself of the superiority of the higher regions and traverses the familiar
territory without fear. My Master, Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji, when impressing the need of
spiritual practices on his disciples, used to say to them, “Go to see a disciple
dying to become convinced.” Saints
believe in salvation during one’s lifetime and not in salvation after death. This is
indeed a simple and easy science, and the disciple should never rest content with his
Initiation without spiritual experience. He should then devote regular time to the
spiritual practices and the Master must be regularly informed of his progress. He should
constantly seek the guidance of his Master personally or by letter, without entertaining
thoughts that he is bothering him. The Master knows by intuition how each disciple is
faring and can remove most of his difficulties by thought transference or other means, but
he wishes any difficulties in progress to be brought to his notice in writing.
The ancient path of Surat Shabd Yoga
or Para Vidya, is one that can be followed by men, women and children of all ages without
any difficulty, unlike other ways, which involve complicated, strenuous exercises, and
control of the breath. These, at the most, lead to a slight control over the self and a
few paltry powers. The latter methods also require a strong physique and a rich diet. As
such, they are condemned by the Masters as unsuited to this age, and as involving physical
dangers to the body.